


Baby, We Could Be Enough

by bottomlouislarry



Category: One Direction
Genre: Angst, Crying, Cuddles, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kisses, M/M, Overuse of the word idiot, its not that sad I promise, mentions of domestic violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 15:43:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9768653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomlouislarry/pseuds/bottomlouislarry
Summary: Louis has a boyfriend, Harry's in love, there's an old picture from a script concert, and everyone's an idiot.





	

Harry's fine.

Really, he is. He was fine when he first met Louis' boyfriend, when Louis was wrapped around him and giggling into his ear while Harry stood, awkwardly shuffling. He was fine when he first heard Louis call said boyfriend baby. He was fine six months later when Louis told him he's moving out and in with Boyfriend, hopping up and down excitedly, smiling wide. He was fine that night when he sat at the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, silently cursing himself for not just _telling_ Louis _before_ this happened. And Liam even told him this would happen if he didn't grow a pair of fucking balls. But every single time he's finally ready to do it, finally ready to tell Louis how he's felt for years, he doubts. He doubts that Louis would reciprocate what he's feeling. Louis is so completely and tragically out of his league. Everything about him is lovely, perfect, beautiful. His hair, his eyes, smile, cheekbones, nose, body, and Harry could write an entire book specifically about his personality, his little giggles, his nervous habits.

But Harry's fine.

He made an executive decision to move on with his life and ignore the situation, and it was working fine. Except, not at all. Every night that he'd come home from work, the deafening silence of an empty house punched him square in the chest, and he'd wonder briefly if that's why it aches so much. But then he'd catch sight of the framed picture of him and Louis at the age of 18, hung on the wall next to the front door. Louis was pressed against him on a blanket in the grass of a Script concert, pressing a wet kiss to his dimpled cheek. He was going to tell Louis he loves him that day. He doesn't know why he didn't, the words just wouldn't come out. He wanted to hold Louis by his small waist and tell him everything he'd been keeping in, is _still_ keeping in. And when he dropped Louis off at his house that night, he noticed Louis lingered on the hug a bit more than usual, and he _definitely_ noticed when Louis stayed in his arms for a few more seconds and stared into his eyes, so he froze. He froze, mumbled awkwardly about getting home, stumbled to his car, and left. Left Louis on his front porch alone to stare at him drive away, and when his eyes flicked up to his rear view mirror and he watched Louis hold himself at the elbows, bowing his head in what looked like _shame_ , he swore he'd never forgive himself.

Five years and one broken heart later, he still hasn't. So he'd make himself a cup of tea, go upstairs and shed his clothes, lay in bed, and wallow in self pity. He'd think about that night, think with a glimmer in his eye that maybe _Louis felt the same._ Why else would he have acted that way? But the glimmer soon turns to tears when he realizes that it was one night, _five fucking years ago,_ and even if Louis had felt the same, that's over, and he's with someone else now.

And that's how it would go, every single goddamn night. But, Project Unhealthily Avoid Problems came to a screeching halt when Louis showed up at Harry's door at ass o'clock, crying and shivering.

"Lou?" Harry went from rubbing sleep from his eye to immediately alert, pulling Louis into the house and shutting the front door. "What happened?"

Louis hiccuped and hugged himself, looking down at his small feet. "Cam hit me."

Harry felt hit blood run cold. "What?" He spit the word like poison, because who in their right mind would want to hurt Louis? Sweet, thoughtful, beautiful Louis. The Louis that makes Harry tea when he's sick, or makes sure he's eaten. The Louis that brushes Harry's hair and paints his nails for him. _His_ Louis.

Louis winced and looked back up at him. "Cam hit me," he spoke again, sniffling. "So I left," he whispered, looking down again. "I didn't know where to go, so," he shrugged, "I came here."

Harry felt all the breath leave his body as he instinctively engulfed Louis in an embrace. "Lou..." he whispered into his hair, fitting both his arms around Louis' waist as the smaller boy folded into him.

"I don't know what happened. We started fighting because he asked me why I'm changing. But, Haz...I'm not happy. He doesn't make me happy, and I didn't know what to do so I told him the truth," his voice was weak as he nuzzled into Harry's neck, one hand pressed to the taller boy's sternum. "And he just-he got so mad so fast. I've never-I don't-" he cut off with a hiccup.

Harry tightened his arms and rubbed his back. "Shh, it's ok. You don't have to tell me right now," he soothed. "But you do need to tell me where he put his hands on you."

Louis nodded and gently pushed himself away from Harry and into his line of vision. He breathed in deep and pulled off his jacket, dropping it on the back of the couch and standing in front of Harry in just a t-shirt and sweats.

"Oh..." Harry breathed, gently lifting Louis' arm to look closer at the finger-shaped bruises littering the skin.

"He grabbed me there," Louis said softly. "Then he smacked me."

Harry's eyes found Louis' face, only seeing a bit of redness on his right cheek. "It's not that bad on your face, but Lou.." His eyes traveled back to the smaller boy's arm.

Louis shut his eyes. "I'm such an idiot."

Harry dropped Louis' arm and cupped his face with both his hands, careful of where Cam struck him. "Louis. You are not an idiot," he said softly, staring into Louis' eyes. "I'm the idiot."

Louis furrowed his brow. "Harry..."

"No, no. I am," he urged, rubbing Louis' cheekbones with his thumbs. "I let you go."

Louis didn't say anything, just stared at Harry with a terrified expression.

Was he really going to do this? He's about to tell Louis what he's been keeping from him since they were barely 18, just becoming adults, just finding out who they are. Seeing Louis like this, seeing him being mistreated, in the arms of someone who _wasn't Harry_ has violently shaken him awake and thrown him out of bed. He needs Louis, needs him like he needs air, and he won't be there forever. This is life giving Harry another chance, and he's taking it.

"I love you."

The words came out surprisingly strong considering how much Harry felt like he might pass out, but he continues.

"I love you, and not in the way I love Gemma, or the way I love the boys." He lifts one of Louis' small hands and places it over his racing heart. "I'm so sorry," he whispers, keeping his hand over Louis'. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should've. But, Lou, you're so amazing. You're beautiful in every single way, on every level, I didn't think it would matter how I felt."

The words hung in the air and Harry felt panic rising in his throat as Louis stayed silent. "Please," he whispers, tears in his eyes as the hand still on Louis' face caresses the soft skin. "Say something."

Louis stared at him, silent, looking like a dear caught in headlights until he _laughed_. He _laughed out loud_ , one huff of a chuckle that turned into giggles, and Harry wanted to _die_.

Louis is laughing at him. He finally spilled everything and he's being _laughed_ at.

He's an idiot, an absolute bumbling moron to think Louis fucking Tomlinson would ever have feelings for him

He's about to drop it, clean Louis up and let him sleep in Harry's bed while he lies awake on the couch and prays Louis will just forget. He's about to, that is, until he sees Louis' giggles turn to watery laughs as tears fall from his blue eyes. He feels Louis' arms wrap around his neck and hold him tight, so Harry holds him just as tight.

Louis' crying and laughing, wrapping his whole body around Harry until the taller boy sits down in the middle of the floor so Louis can straddle him.

"I love you too, I do. I love you," Louis says frantically into Harry's shoulder, reeling back and crashing their lips together.

Harry kisses back immediately, holding Louis against him and letting tears fall from his closed eyes, overwhelmed with the feeling of _LouisLouisLouis_.

The first kiss was everything a first kiss should be, full of love and passion and desperation. They smiled into each other's lips, chuckling softly when their teeth clanked accidentally.

They were both crying, and Louis was still giggling in between kisses and it was beautiful and ridiculous and they were still in Harry's fucking front room.

They pulled away after a few minutes of pressing bruising kisses to each other's lips, resting their foreheads together and brushing noses affectionately.

Louis was the first to pipe up. "You _are_ an idiot Harry Styles," he says with a chuckle. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Harry grinned and wiped some of the stray tears off Louis' face. "Didn't know how to."

Louis grinned and shook his head, leaning in and smacking a kiss to Harry's cheek.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, until something dawned on Harry.

"Woah, woah, wait," he said, "you love me too."

"We've established this."

"No, fuck off. Why didn't _you_ tell _me_?"

"Because you _left_ me _alone_ on my _porch_ to cry into my mother's lap over your dumb face," Louis said incredulously, a playful smile on his lips.

Harry grinned. "So just my face then?"

"And your curls," Louis pulled a strand of hair for emphasis. _And maybe your everything too._

Harry kept a close-mouthed grin on his face, rubbing up and down Louis' sides. The grin faded and he bumped his forehead with Louis' softly. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you that night. I'm sorry."

Louis shook his head, putting both his hands on Harry's cheeks.

They were silent, staring at each other, until Louis whispers against Harry's lips. "I guess we're both pretty big idiots then."

Harry sighs softly, lifting a hand and tucking Louis' hair behind his ear. " _Cam's_ an idiot."

Louis hummed and kissed Harry softly. "Cam is also irrelevant. I love you."

Harry kissed him again.

-

That night, Harry kissed the bruises on Louis' arm while they made love, washing away years of being so painfully apart with spoken minds and soft touches. _'I love you'_ s threaded into the sheets as their hands intertwined, silently promising a forever.

That forever came sooner than later, as two years after that, as they move into a bigger house together, Harry spun Louis around the kitchen singing Frank Sinatra. And one year after that, when Harry dropped to one knee on Louis' birthday. And six months after that when they danced at their wedding, whispering about a baby. And three years later when they brought home their daughter for the first time.

So, yes, Harry's fine, and he always will be as long as he has Louis.

 


End file.
